Arjun Main Battle Tank is manufactured at Heavy Vehicles Factory at Avadi near Chennai
Coimbatore will be along one of the two corridors planned in the country for defence production
Industries in Coimbatore have the potential to become suppliers to the defence sector either directly or through the Public Sector Undertakings, large-scale industries, and or the ordnance factories, Rear Admiral V. Mohan Doss, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air Material), said here on Saturday.
Speaking at an interaction session between the Navy and Coimbatore District Small Industries Association (CODISSIA), Mr. Doss said Coimbatore will be along one of the two corridors planned in the country for defence production. The Defence Ministry is looking at developing Tiruchi-Coimbatore-Chennai-Bengaluru as a corridor.
On the potential for supplying to the Navy, he said that in another 10 years, the number of war ships and aircrafts will increase leading to more requirements for components. “We have taken multiple steps towards indigenisation.”
Last year, a road map was prepared for the next five years to indigenise over 600 components (critical and non-critical). The industries can be involved in upgradation, repair work or reverse engineering. There are nine PSUs, 39 ordnance factories, 52 research and development organisations to which the industries can supply. The procedures have been simplified and payments are made on time. Though the initial volume might be less, the industries can develop to become global suppliers.
V. Sundaram, president of Codissia, said that industries here were heading towards Internet of Things and automation through industry 4.0. To supply to the defence sector, they might have to go back to processes adopted between industry 2.0 and industry 3.0 as the volume of the orders will be less initially. Further, for a component worth ₹500, the unit might have to spend about ₹50,000 to develop the tooling. Mr. Sundaram sought guarantee from the defence forces that if an MSME develops a component, it should be purchased by the armed forces from that vendor for five years.The Codissia is also looking at having testing and certification facilies here. Coimbatore’s strengths are in sectors such as foundries, precision engineering, plastics, forging, and press components, he said.
Rajiv Choudhry, Commanding Offier of INS Agrani, said naval aviation is an area with aircrafts, jet engines, helicopters and several other equipment and parts. These are currently imported and can be made by the domestic industry.